15 cities asked to submit proposals for Democratic convention

Will Democrats nominate their choice to succeed President Obama in party strongholds such as Chicago, Cleveland and New York City?

Or how about Indianapolis, Pittsburgh or Columbus, Ohio?

The Democratic National Committee sent a letter Monday to 15 mayors asking them to submit proposals to host the party’s 2016 convention. In addition to the six cities named above, letters were also sent to Atlanta, Detroit, Las Vegas, Miami, Nashville, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Salt Lake City.

The cities will have until June 6 to submit the “request for proposal,” and the DNC hopes to make a decision by the end of this year or early next.

“This quadrennial convention is not just the place where we will nominate the leaders of our party and our country, but it is also an opportunity to provide our Host City with a chance to showcase its community on a world stage,” DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz said in her letter to the mayors.

Wasserman Schultz, a Florida congresswoman, also said Democrats want a host city that “shares our values of equality, inclusion, diversity, respect and dignity.” She said the DNC wants the convention host city to have “strong relationships with organized labor and those they represent” because of the security and construction issues that are related to putting on the event.

Political conventions mean big bucks to the host city. There was an estimated economic impact of $164 million to the Charlotte area, which hosted Obama and the Democrats in 2012.

Some of the cities — such as Columbus — have made no secret about wanting to welcome Democrats in 2016. Las Vegas is one of the six cities in the running to host the 2016 Republican National Convention.